CPS appointment: Himachal High Court defers hearing on plea for May 8

Legal Correspondent

Shimla April 24

The HP High Court on the request of the counsel for the state government deferred the hearing on the petition challenging the appointment of Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPSs) for May 8 for the arguments of the state government.

During the course of hearing, the counsel of the state requested the court to adjourn the hearing for May 8 as the government has engaged a senior counsel from Delhi and he is not available today. Reluctantly, the court adjourned the matter for arguments of the state government.

In terms of its previous order, a division bench comprising Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Bipin Chander Negi is hearing this matter on a day-to-day basis and on April 22 the arguments on behalf of the petitioner concluded and today after hearing the counsels representing the CPSs, the bench listed it for the arguments of state on May 8.

It was contended on behalf of the CPSs that their appointments are made in accordance with the state Act passed in this regard by the state legislative Assembly and sought dismissal of the petition.

BJP leader Satpal Singh Satti and 11 other BJP MLAs had filed a petition before the court alleging therein that no such post of CPS existed under the Constitution of India or under any statue or Act passed by the Parliament of India.

It was further averred in the petition that as per the 91st constitutional amendment it capped the number of ministerial berths to 15% of the house strength and as per this there are 12 ministers in the state in consonance with the constitutional amendment as the strength of the Assembly is 68 in the state.

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